70th FTS flexes wartime muscle

  • Published
  • By Maj. Chris Rea
  • 70th Flying Training Squadron
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY --  The 70th Flying Training Squadron recently exercised its wartime mission by assuming complete control of sailplane operations here for a single day.  

By doing so, the squadron, which supports the 306th Flying Training Group at the U.S. Air Force Academy, enabled the 94th FTS, one of the 70th FTS's regular Air Force component units, to take a much-deserved utilization goal day while continuing a normal flight training schedule. 

On Aug. 15, the 70th FTS assumed all officer supervisory and instructional roles for a single day. This was a voluntary exercise where the 70th FTS took the opportunity to surge their normal support in order to exercise the unit's in-place generation requirement in addition to allowing the 94th FTS to take a goal day. Lt. Col Carol Pugh, 70th FTS commander of sailplane operations, led the exercise by flying instructional sorties and also working in a supervisory capacity as the operations supervisor. 

"We are out here doing what we do every day," said Colonel Pugh. "There's just more of us. It's awesome to see the whole squadron coming out at the same time to exercise our full capabilities to support the regular Air Force." 

The 70th FTS is one of Air Force Reserve Command's newest squadrons consisting of three flights of traditional reservists. The 70th supports sailplane, powered flight, Initial Flight Screening and parachute operations at the Academy. This reserve component support significantly increases instructor continuity and overall unit experience level for airfield operations at USAFA. The 70th FTS, operating under a classic associate construct with the 306th FTG, augments regular Air Force in its cadet training mission. During wartime, the 70th FTS maintains the capability to assume all operations and training responsibilities for short periods of time as regular forces are drawn to front line duties. 

Lt. Col. Lawrence "Jello" Pravecek, 94th FTS commander, stated, "I think today was a win-win. My pilots got a well-deserved day off after a long summer of sunrise to sunset operations, and the 70th got the opportunity to validate its manning structure and qualification level. It's comforting to know we have this capability." 

The exercise was a successful demonstration of that capability. Lt. Col. Scott "Scooter" Sauter, 70th FTS commander, echoed the sentiment. 

"Earlier in the year, I challenged my flight commanders to evaluate their flight's mission capability with the following test, 'Can you give your active duty host squadron the day off?' I was surprised and delighted when A Flight took on this challenge." 

"This is the quietest I've seen things run around here," said Cadet Second Class Jonathon Aronoff of Miami, Fla., as he sat "logger" under the watchful supervision of Colonel Pugh. The "logger" keeps track of crews and sailplanes as they take off and land throughout the day. During the exercise, reservists performed all officer flight line supervisory roles including dispatcher, operations supervisor, soaring control officer and supervisor of flying. They also worked the flight line instructing cadets and officers.